Weiny roasters; rocket cars; B1rd's; the nicknames are endless for what we know as jet cars. As a kid in the pits in the 1960's - they scared the crap out of me. Puff, BANG, puff, puff, puff, BANG, BANG...that was the sound I recall them making as they came up to stage at the tree. Then off with a swoosh they would zoom down the track like a jet; well, because they are a jet. They just don't have wings.
While I'm not sure why he had so much contempt for these cars; my dad
was a very vocal opponent of these cars at the track. I suspect it had
something to do with the condition of the starting line following a lap
made by these cylindrical tubes o' jet fuel. Regardless of what it was,
I picked up the same attitude toward them because they weren't racing.
I think I may have secretly felt that anyone outside of the sport would
view us as "rednecks" or "stupid" for running such ridiculous show
cars.
To most racers in the pits they were an odd-ball machine not a "real" race car; because they aren't. They really don't race and have no champion to crown at the end of the season. They are booked in by the track promotors/owners and paid to run...because they put butts in seats. More than most types of motorsports, drag racing relies on the entertainment factor to bring in fans. Entertainment is king and the empty seat doesn't buy a hot dog. (Thank you Raconteur, for this great tag line)
Up through this past year I refused to watch them, unlike my teammates that always hustled to the chain link at the first "puff, puff, BOOM" following the last round. I'm not sure when it was, but I began to understand what appeals to the casual race fan is a complete polar opposite to what I think makes a good race. Joe race fan wants flames and noise; he really doesn't care what's making it. He loves the nitro cars and enjoys the side-by-side racing they perform, but he also loves those jet cars. It's all entertainment to him and the more the better.
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